


His Favourite If Only

by GlitterCake20



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 07:38:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14869508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterCake20/pseuds/GlitterCake20
Summary: Goodbye my CJ.





	His Favourite If Only

**Author's Note:**

> Goodbye my CJ.

The first time Liam spoke to him he was still the new guy in the office, having a rather embarrassing encounter in the kitchen with a bottle of honey. It was crystallized, all he wanted to do was melt it, the kitchen gods were against him as always. Theo felt it the minute he entered the kitchen, those blue eyes drilling into the back of Theo’s head, his smile lighting up the room.

 

“You know, the only other person capable of making such a mess with honey is Winnie the Pooh.”

 

Theo laughed, glancing over his shoulder, hands sticky and golden, “Yeah, I’m an idiot. Can you hand me a wet towel?”

 

“I think you’ll need an entire ocean to get rid of this mess.” Liam cupped his hands under Theo’s walking him to the basin, taking care not to drip anymore honey on the floor. He opened the tap, squeezing washing liquid into his palms and began washing Theo’s hands.

 

Theo had been apprehensive at best to talk to the boy, terrified at worst, because he was incredibly beautiful, Theo doubted that he would be able to even look him in the eye. But right then he was surprisingly at ease around him, he stared while Liam cleaned his sticky fingers and every few seconds Liam would peek up at him, cheeks flushing slightly.

 

“I’m Liam.” He smiled.

 

“I’m Theo. I’m new here.”

 

“Yeah I know! Our experienced employees are much more graceful with the honey.”

 

Theo snorted, probably very unattractively, blushing no doubt. They both laughed, standing just like that for the better part of 3 minutes, hot water running- long after Theo’s hands were clean.

 

“I’ll call you Winnie from now on.”

 

“That makes you Christopher Robin then. You’re an accomplice to this”

 

Liam smiled, wide and bright, “Okay sure. I can live with that.”

 

That was the start of it all. Stupid honey and a stupid boy with stupid blue eyes and one helplessly in love heart.

 

___

 

Theo found Liam peeking around his desk more often than not, talking about the latest t.v shows, teasing him for thinking hybrids were better than real werewolves. They never agreed on anything but that’s why their friendship worked, they always had something to talk about even if it was just arguing until they were giggling and had to be shushed by their colleagues. Theo even received a ribboned bottle of honey for his birthday and it meant a whole lot more to him than it probably should have. 

 

“Hayden is obsessed with that show. I fucking hate it. So protracted.” Liam mumbled taking another bite of his burger.

 

“Hayden?”

  
  


“My girlfriend,” Liam said wiping his mouth not looking at Theo. “The original one is more watchable….” 

  
  


Liam kept rambling but Theo's ears had long since deafened. His girlfriend. Had Theo been reading all this wrong? Had he done that thing again where he’d mistaken someone being friendly for flirting. He could kick his own ass because now it was too late, he liked him, too much.  

  
  


But did “friendly” really mean sitting next to Theo at every team meeting even if there were other spaces? Did “friendly” mean standing so close that he could smell his toothpaste. Did it mean carrying his bags and walking him to his car, each day without fail? Did it mean swooping wet hair from his face when they got caught in the rain? 

  
  


Since that day Hayden had always fallen into their conversations, Liam would complain about her nagging sometimes, how crazy she got. But he stayed with her. He'd come back from vacation and show Theo all the photos, quickly skipping over the ones with her in it… because he knew. Theo's heart thanked him for it, he didn't need to put a face to the person who held his Christopher-Robin closer than he ever would. He'd smile and laugh with Liam, saving the crying for when he was alone.  

 

_____

 

It was the day of their team building, burning hot on a mountain top, that Liam finally decided to rip Theo’s heart from his chest.  Their boss stood up clinking his glass, clearing his throat for an announcement.

 

“As happy as we are today, we have a little sadness to cover before we carry on with the rest of the activities for the day.” Everyone looked around, “Liam has decided to move on to greener pastures. England yes?”

 

“That’s right.” He smiled meekly, pressing his shoulder to Theo’s next to him, as always. A touch that meant  _ I didn’t know how to tell you… _

 

Theo chugged back his drink and got up once the formalities were over and voices began buzzing again, pushing his chair back perhaps a little too hard. He didn’t have to look back to know that Liam was following him outside. He stopped in front of the barrier that overlooked the city, the blue eyed guy beside him. Theo exhaustedly put his mask back on, “England huh!!” he said with the fake happiness he had mastered.  “Yeah, big step.”

 

“So when are you popping the question then?” Theo asked, because naturally that is the thing that follows when you move countries with someone. Rip the bandaid off and get right to it, he thought.  Still, he hoped Liam would say “never” and that he’s going alone. “I’m seeing her dad next weekend. So dumb that you have  _ ask _ to marry a grown ass person. But hey, I don’t make the rules.” Liam shrugged and tossed back his own beverage. They sat there on the ledge watching nothing specific, talking like they always did, flirting like it meant nothing and Hayden didn’t exist. Theo hated himself for liking how that felt, he hated that he’d go to sleep that night knowing nothing will ever come of it.

 

There were times that Liam stared at Theo, his eyes obviously recognizing something he wasn’t supposed to, words balancing on the tip of his tongue but never quite spilling over. Theo wished it would, even just once, even if it was  _ “I wish it was you instead.”  _  Theo could live with that.

____

Liam’s last day, his farewell, was particularly painful as everyone congratulated him and asked to see pictures of her ring. Theo didn’t ask, and Liam didn’t show him. They barely spoke that day and when it was time to get back to the office and everyone huddled around Liam to say their goodbyes, Theo couldn’t. He couldn’t look Liam in the eye and say those words. There was no way he could do it without balling like a child in front of all their colleagues, so he ran away. He went back to the office alone. Hours went by and everyone had returned to their seats, the office full except for the desk with a sticker of a little boy and a yellow teddy holding a pot of honey- that one was vacant in such a somber way that Theo’s eyes stung every time he looked at it. The shrill ring of his office phone made him jump and he knocked the receiver down in a haste to pick it up.

 

“Raeken, hello?”

 

“Mr. Raeken, there is a Christopher-Robin down stairs to see you.”

 

Goddammit. Of course Liam wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.

 

“I’ll be right there.” He put the phone down and glanced at the window, thankful for a second that they didn’t open because he would have bolted. He collected himself and walked to the elevator. Dread filling his heart. Why did he have to do this, hiding like a coward was so much easier. He reached the ground floor much too quickly and his stomach dropped when the doors opened, a thick lump forming in his throat.

There he stood with the biggest bunch of yellow roses Theo had ever seen, but that look remained on his face, the one that said “sorry” even if he didn’t know why.  _ I’m sorry you love me.  _ Could his heart have broken more? Apparently.

 

“Hey Winnie.” His smile was kind and comforting and murderous at the same time. Tearing bits of Theo open each time he looked at him.

 

“Christopher-Robin.” Theo nodded, smiling as much as his emotions allowed.

 

“Come outside with me?” Liam turned to the big glass doors waiting for Theo to join him.

 

He didn’t want to. God, he wanted to yell at him to leave, to just go. Go to her. He wanted to break down and cry, throw a massive tantrum like a two-year-old because fuck, none of this was fair. None of it. But he bottled it up, like he always had, and followed Liam outside. The brave face had begun to wear thin, getting harder to put on. He scoffed at the bit of hope that still bloomed in his heart that maybe Liam was going confess his love this time, maybe he'd grab him and kiss him senseless. 

 

They sat down on a small wall outside, “These are for you.” Liam held the huge bunch of flowers out to Theo. “Why?” he asked looking down but taking the bouquet into his lap. “Because you deserve all the beautiful things.”

 

Theo sighed watching cars fly by in the street. “So do you.”  He wanted to ask if Liam was happy, if she made him happy. But he didn't because it wouldn't matter. Liam was leaving the country in a few hours. With her. Nothing he could do now would change anything.  

  
  


Theo's eyes welled up with ridiculous tears and his cheeks stung with embarrassment. He dropped his head when a sob escaped him, tears dropping down onto the yellow roses. 

  
  


Liam's hand rested on his back, circling between his shoulder blades. “I am sorry Theo. I really am.” He didn't have to say what for. They both knew. 

  
  


“It's okay,”  _ it wasn't _ “I'm an idiot.” 

  
  


“No you-”

  
  


“Good luck over there, Liam.” Theo cut him off, the last thing he needed was Liam's kind words and his “if onlys”. 

  
  


“I will miss you” he dared one last time and if it were a movie that would have been the epic caution-to-the-wind-kiss scene. But it was just Theo's life. Liam's lips weren't his to kiss and Liam’s body wasn't his to hold.  

  
  


Liam stood up turning to face Theo, and for a second his face was twisted with regret and Theo was sure it was just his love hungry heart seeing things.  

  
  


“I'll miss you too Winnie.” Liam said, his jaw clenching as he bit back tears. 

  
  


Theo wasn't as dignified, fuck it didn't matter anymore. His lips trembled and his cheeks wet, eyes spilling as he blinked. 

  
  


“Bye Theo.”

  
  


Liam's gaze lingered for a few seconds more and then he turned and walked away, his head hung low and hands shoved into his pockets. Theo watched him slide into the cab that had been waiting by the curb, still standing with the big bunch of yellow roses in his arms, his heart bleeding somewhere on the ground. 

  
  


“Goodbye Christopher-Robin.”


End file.
